Nottingham arsonist Jamie Barrow found guilty of murdering mother and two children after Clifton flat fire

A Nottingham man who killed his neighbours, a mother and her two daughters, by setting fire to their home has been found guilty of their murders.

Jamie Barrow, 31, torched the front door of the block of flats on Fairisle Close in Clifton and watched it burn as the family slept.

Fatimah Drammeh, three, and Naeemah Drammeh, one, died in the blaze on November 20 last year, while their mother Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, died two days later, with all three succumbing to smoke inhalation.

Barrow, who lived in the same block of flats, started the blaze after filling a bottle with petrol from his motorbike and pouring it through the letterbox before lighting it with tissue paper.

He admitted starting the fire but denied murder on the ground of diminished responsibility at Nottingham Crown Court, claiming he thought the first-floor flat was empty.

A jury found him guilty on three counts of murder and one count of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

‘Calmly walked away’

Jurors heard Barrow may have been “frustrated” at living next to noisy young children and bags of rubbish from the flat.

However, in court, prosecutors said Barrow’s motive may never be known but suggested several theories for why he started the fire, including his desire to be rehoused by the local authority to be closer to his son.

A fire investigation found the blaze was contained to the bottom of the stairs, but smoke had billowed up into the rest of the home.

One witness tried kicking down the door that led up to the family’s flat after seeing something on fire in the letterbox but was kept back by the flames.

Neighbours evacuated from the building were later interviewed by police.

Barrow had arranged to meet officers at his aunt’s address - but did not show at the agreed time.

Officers found him at his address, where Barrow told them: “I need to tell you something about the fire next door.”

He then bowed his head and held both of his hands in front of him, which officers interpreted as an invitation to handcuff him.

After being cautioned, Barrow said words to the effect of: “I was going to hand myself in at Clifton Police Station anyway today” and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder, when detectives were treating the incident as a hate crime.

In police interviews, Barrow, who was diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) in 2013, refused to comment.

During the trial, jurors were shown CCTV footage of Barrow buying cans of lager on two occasions in the hours leading up to the fatal fire.

As the flames took hold, he was captured calmly walking away from the blaze with his dog whilst smoking a cigarette.

A short time later he returned and spoke to officers, asking how “bad” the fire was.

He then went to an evacuation centre at Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton campus, where he spent time with other evacuated residents who were unaware of his involvement.

‘A pure heart’

Before they died, Ms Hydara and her children had been planning to move to the USA with her husband Aboubacarr Drammeh, where he was working as a biomedical technologist.

Fatoumatta was described as a “caring” daughter, wife, sister, mother and friend, with a “pure heart”, who was “greatly loved for her personality and qualities” by her family.

In a statement, they added: “Words cannot quantify how much our family have suffered because of the horrific actions of one man.

“His actions were utterly heartless and cruel – and have caused a multigenerational trauma that we will never understand.

“[Fatoumatta] was the most incredible mother to Fatimah and Naeemah, two angels who deserved a beautiful childhood and a full life.

“They lived a short but meaningful life, such was the joy and happiness they brought to us all.”

‘Barbaric’

Det Insp Kaz Smithson, who led the investigation, said: “Jamie Barrow committed the most despicable crime anyone could ever commit.

“He destroyed a whole family and took away their dreams of a happy life together in America.

“Today, justice has been served for Fatoumatta, Fatimah and Naeemah and their family, all of whom have carried themselves with incredible dignity since the night of this truly awful crime.

“Barrow denied the killings were deliberate but, thankfully, my investigative team was able to provide overwhelming evidence that this tragic event was indeed murder.

“We saw through his lies and, thankfully, so did the jury.”

Det Ch Insp Clare Dean, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Major Crime Unit, described Barrow’s actions as “barbaric”.

She added: “He is a cruel and dangerous man and I am pleased justice has been served.”

Barrow will be sentenced on Friday, July 7 at Nottingham Crown Court.